The real Hero of Canton
by Inspectortoast
Summary: Episode "The Hero of Canton" from a different perspective. This is my first story.


**This is my first story. Let me know if you find any grammar issues in it. Please write a reveiw, and I haven't read many more firefly stories, if a story like this has already been posted let me know so I can take it off or change it correctly. **

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The heat of the two suns beat down on my bare back as I laboriously churned the mud with my wooden oar. My muscles strained with every twist, I had to stop for a second.

"Get back to work, lazy dog!" The watcher said loudly to me.

Then I was whipped twice, I could feel the blood dripping down my back, where the wiping had opened some old scars. I looked around me, at all the other people, warring rags, barely eating enough, and churning mud every day of the year. We weren't bad people, we had done nothing wrong, except be born.

"Lunch break!" The watcher said.

I stood up and stretched out my back. None of us even had anything to eat, and the well was far away, but all of us needed water. I decided to run to the well, my muscles crying out to me every second. I grabbed a large bucket, filled it with water and started my run back. I gave the bucket to someone and they started drinking quickly making sure not to spill a drop. I then collapsed onto the hard, dry ground, sending up clouds of dust. I calmed my breathing and just laid there, then got up. Someone handed me the bucket, then nodded at me, she was probably too tired to speak.

I finished my work for the day, more tired than usual, and lazily walked to the bar. On the way there I had to stop by the statue the village had made a couple years ago, of the hero of our town. I was very proud of it, and to many people, gave them hope. I made it to the bar dragged myself to a stool and tried to keep my head off the table.

The bartender walked over to me, "what will it be, then?" he asked.

"The usual." I said, quietly. The bar tender then left to get my drink.

"There ya' go lad," The bar tender said to me placing a small earthen jug in front of my. "Anything else, then?"

"No thanks" I said lazily and then started to drink.

After walking home to my small shack, I took a cloth and started to dry clean op all the blood on my back. I looked into the cracked mirror, looking at my reflection. I was about eighteen, my black hair I always kept neat, and like all the other men hear did, I had no beard, only a small stubble witch I wasn't able to get with my knife. For, when working in the hot sun, you don't want a beard to get in your way. I went to my bed, it was made out of old straw, I had no blankets or pillow, and often bugs found there way into the mattress. I fell asleep right away.

The next day, while on my way to work. I saw a rich looking man, who must have come from a fancy ship. The rich man and all of his crew where standing around the statue we had made. Most of those rich types ignored it, but this rich boy, seemed to be saying how good it was. I smiled; this was going to be a good day. I didn't get whipped that day, and I wasn't overly tired, so I walked toward the bar with a spring in my step.

" 'ello again, wat'll it be tonight?" The bar tender asked as I sat down.

"Same" I said, and looked around the bar. J' was here, and he had his guitar with him. Then, continuing my sweep of the room, I saw the rich man and his crew all together here. J' started to sing, this was my favorite song; it told the story of how the hero had helped our town. I cheered along with everyone else. One of the rich mans crew started looking all jittery. After the song was over, the jittery guy, of the rich mans crew, walked outside, then quickly to the bar, and said "Get me something." Through his clenched teeth.

I then almost streamed with joy. "Don't you see," I said loudly to everyone, "**He's** come back."

I got everyone off of him, and started to tell him all the good that he had done to our little town. After one part in the story I just had to say "I'm just glad your back,"

"I can't believe I ever left," He said giving me a hug.

Hours later after the hero had gotten drunk, threw up, drank some more, then headed to an unused room in the bar. I walked home, lighter that I had ever been. One of the rich man's crew was there, and started to walk with me.

"How 'bout the great hero do a speech tomorrow morn" The man said.

"Yea, speech," I said lazily, "I'll be tellen' every one."

The man nodded, "I'll be spreadin' the word too"

"G' night," I said and walked to my hut.

Word had spread of the speech, none of us where going to work tomorrow no matter what the consequences. I walked lazily toward town square. I hadn't gotten any sleep that last night. I smiled, for no one seemed to be upset, a first in our town. I made my way to town square; the hero was standing right next to the statue I had made of him, as he started his speech. "It seems like y'all got the shortest end of the stick in this here galaxy. And-well-you, took it. And that gotta' be something"

I started a round of applause that seeped over the whole crowd. A gun shot fired, and everyone steeped aside, as a strange man, he didn't have one of his eyes and his hair and beard where extremely long. He started to tell lies about our hero, saying he was a thief and that he had dropped that guy out of a plane. Then something about how he dropped a whole bunch of money.

"Yea, and he dropped it on us!" I said, cutting though the silence, as another round of applause when up. A few more words where passed between the two men, then the weird guy lowered his gun directly at the hero. Only on instant I jumped, and I felt the many small bullets of a shot gun enter my skin. The hero reacted and killed that man. He turned me over and looked at me.

"Why'd you go and jump in front of that shot-gun blast for."

He started to speak to everyone, but I didn't hear, I was near death my last thought was. _I just saved the hero of Canton, the man they call Jayne._

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Thats the end. Please review. **_  
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